GRATITUDE + CONSCIOUS LIVING Page 14 of 22

Places and Spaces – Our Garden

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Places and Spaces - Our Garden placesandspaces1

Welcome to ‘Places and Spaces’, our Wednesday column where we share places we go to think, get inspired, or come alive. The environment around us has such a bearing on how we feel, and sometimes a change of scene can make a world of difference to your perspective, thought process, or decisions.

Today I want to share somewhere very special to us both and somewhere I have rediscovered and found a new appreciation for recently. Our garden!

Garden - Leeds

Since beginning my new venture with Do What You Love I have found myself working from home for the majority of the week. Much of that time is spent behind the computer. This is not something I have been used to as in my previous career I spent a lot of time on construction sites. This time outside always – by myself or laughing with my team, along with a big dose of fresh air – helped me put into perspective any problems or issues that I was dealing with at the time.

I had wondered how I would replace this valuable and necessary escape time whilst working at home. The answer presented itself in the form of our garden. It provides great sanctuary away from the computer, whether it is fending off the dreaded bindweed, rustling amongst the ferns and flowers or providing a thirst quenching drink to the plants.

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I find it particularly comes alive for me whilst watering it. The sun glistens off the varying shapes of leaves and the colours are enhanced. For a few fleeting moments I forget about everything else other than the garden itself.

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The garden provides so many different perspectives with a different treat in store depending where you choose to look.

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I love our sunken table – the perfect place for outdoor meetings, dinner and chats, or gatherings of friends. A fair few big decisions have been made in this wooden oasis, usually with a glass of wine in hand.

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I certainly never have thought I would enjoy gardening. To care for and nurture the garden provides respite from the world around me. One I would not have discovered without changing other aspects of my life.

Where is your sanctuary? Where do you go to escape from the hustle and bustle?

 

Change vs transition

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Change vs transition DWYL BLOG SHIFT 650X250PX LR

Inspired by Jennifer Lee’s latest newsletter, Mr K and I were having a chat today about the difference between ‘change’ and ‘transition’.

As we started packing boxes for our next house move in three weeks’ time, here are some of the things we pondered:

  • ‘Change’ is often an event, whereas ‘transition’ is often the period of time running up to that event as you prepare for it, and following that event as you settle into it.
  • The word ‘change’ feels huge and in-your-face. ‘Transition’ feels more subtle.
  • Change seems sudden. Transition seems gradual.
  • ‘Change’ sounds like a destination. ‘Transition’ sounds like a journey.
  • Change seems practical or physical. Transition is more emotional.
  • To make a change you usually have to stop doing something, start doing something, or do something differently. And it can be forced upon you. This often takes a sackload of courage. To make a transition perhaps you can be more gentle on yourself, take baby steps, and test the water as you go.

Boxes - moving house

With both change and transition you end up somewhere you weren’t before. And that’s exciting, but can be scary! From the many changes we have gone through over the past few months, we have found that the following really help:

  1. Know what you want to be different after the change. Keep reminding yourself of this when things get tough.
  2. Have a plan for making the change, and handling the emotional transition.
  3. Be aware that these things usually take longer than you expect.
  4. Expect to feel disoriented, a little in limbo, or nervous. Being uncomfortable for a while can lead to great things.
  5. Talk to someone about it. You don’t have to go through it on your own. And if someone is sharing the journey, that is even more fun!
  6.  Take a moment to reflect on what has gone past before you leap into the change.
  7. Celebrate your new beginning.

How about you? What do you think is the difference between change and transition? And how have you handled the big changes in your life?

Wedding countdown: Hen do!

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Beth and Heather hen do

It feels a little strange writing about this now when my hen do was back in late March, but I made a decision to take 5 weeks off around my wedding and honeymoon, and that included virtually no blogging or social media – so now I am back I want to share it all with you, even if it is a little late!

For those of you who have never heard of a ‘hen do’, it is what brides call the party they have with their girl friends before getting married (and boys have a ‘stag do’). In the US I think the closest thing would be a ‘bachelorette party’, although hen dos here tend to include going away for several days.

Anyway, because we had decided on a tiny wedding, I felt strange about the idea of having a large hen do with lovely friends who weren’t coming to the wedding, so instead I decided to have the World’s Smallest Hen Do (WSHD) with just me and my best friend Heather.

Heather and I met at university nearly 20 years ago, and have been like sisters ever since. Everyone used to joke that we seem to come as a pair, often getting us mixed up (although I don’t think we look alike!). We were actually born on the same day, so share lots of Taurean traits, and have a great excuse for celebrating our birthdays together!

Tradition has it that the bride-to-be gets dressed up in a lot of pink (often including variations on cowboys/tiaras/feathers etc) and totters around town in very high heels and a very short dress, drinking a lot and cackling wildly. But that isn’t really my scene, so we went for something else. For the WSHD Heather and I decided to take a trip down memory lane, and go to a spa up in the North East of England, near where we went to university (in Durham). It was a blissful few days, where we got to catch up properly on the details of our lives, get pampered, skim stones at the beach, and blow away the cobwebs on a blustery visit to the coast. Just my kind of trip away. Here are some pictures from this very special time…

Heather's sports car

Zipping off in Heather’s sports car for a few days away

Beth in sports car

We went via one of the most fabulous bookshops I have ever been too – Barter books, inside an old railway station. (I know, who goes to a bookshop on their hen do? But you have to realise this was MY hen do and I love bookshops!)

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Off to the lovely Doxford Hall hotel & spa

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We got lost in the hotel’s maze…

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And every day Heather surprised me with a little gift to help me prepare for married life!

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We spent one wonderful evening an incredible restaurant IN THE TREES! 

Wedding countdown: Hen do!

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(Above three images via The Treehouse Restaurant)

The Treehouse Restaurant is in the grounds of Alnwick Castle, where Harry Potter was filmed, and is as magical as you might imagine, and a whole lot more delicious than we had expected. You reach it via a wooden walkway and it is literally in the treetops.

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(The North Face coat over a summer dress is never a good look, but it was freeeeeezing!)

We were blown along by crazy winds out at Bamburgh Castle

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…where the shoreline reminded me of Cape Cod

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…And we skimmed stones near the lifeboats at Seahouses, famous for the incredibly brave local resident Grace Darling (read more about her amazing story here)

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Of course by then it was time for tea…

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And we couldn’t resist this sweet little local shop with such a brilliant sign in the window (our kind of place).

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We spent hours reminiscing about old times (shared adventures at uni, in Japan where we have both lived for several years, on holidays in Thailand, Greece and more…) and looked ahead to our plans and dreams for the future. What a special few days it was. We have decided to make it an annual thing, to get away in Spring for a few days, just the two of us.

And then it started to snow! We had to race back through the countryside to make it in time for my final wedding dress fitting, and this is what awaited when we got there:

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A rowdy, drunken, sun-soaked hen do it wasn’t, but my kind of hen do it was. Thank you Heather!

Wedding photos – sneak peek!

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Wedding car - Beth

Spending this Sunday morning going through our wedding photos. Brings back such happy memories… It was such an amazing day. Here’s a little sneak peek!

Wedding - flower girls

Tied the knot - Paul and Beth

A flood of photos coming soon – hen do, wedding and honeymoon, with all the details – can’t wait to relive it all

Beth x

[All images: NavyBlur]

Happy birthday to me! (PLUS week of giveaways coming up!)

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Beth & Heather

Me and my BFF Heather heading off on my hen do a few weeks back (more on that coming soon!)

Hello 36! It’s my birthday today, and I am celebrating with my bestest buddy and our two fellas. We were born on the same day (honestly!) and used to always celebrate together, but this will be the first time in several years we have got together on our joint birthday and I cannot wait.

The weather forecast is for glorious sunshine, and the sea is calling. I am hoping today will be full of laughter and fun as we enter into our ‘late thirties’.

A year ago today my man proposed, and ever since this last year has been such a huge one in my life (sabbatical on the other side of the world, wedding, honeymoon and all sorts of other adventures). But as so much of that is coming up on the blog in the next few weeks instead, today I am just going to say this:

(1) I feel happier in my life right now at 36 than I ever have

(2) I am grateful for so much – family, friends, shiny new husband, adventures, business, YOU and more

(3) I want you to celebrate with me, so all this week I am doing some crazy giveaways here on the blog. Here’s what’s coming up:

WEDNESDAY: Giving away a free place on Part A of Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers! (plus a fab interview with Lilla that you don’t want to miss!)

THURSDAY: Giving away a free copy of Tara Leaver’s new book ‘Creative Spark: (re)igniting your creativity with everyday wisdom’ (and I share a great interview with Tara too)

These giveaways will be open from the time they are posted until 12 noon GMT on Saturday 11 May 2013, so be sure to check in every day and enter! You can enter as many of them as you like. GOOD LUCK and happy birthday me!

Gardening / procrastinating

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Gardening

You know when you have been away from something for a while, and things have piled up, and somehow you need to attack the mountain but just can’t bring yourself to do it? That’s what it feels like with blogging right now. I have SO much to share with you after an incredible few weeks off for my wedding and honeymoon – we were showered with love and I don’t know enough ways to say thank you to so many different people. But somehow it is hard to know where to begin!

So I am going to ease myself in gently with this little musing about gardening, and tell myself that I’m not really procrastinating about sharing everything else…

Last summer brought so much rain to the North of England that our garden became an explosion of green. The black bamboo has gone wild and shoots way up into the sky. The wisteria has climbed thick across the canopy which hangs over our little sunken table. And there are lots of (pretty) weeds around. So we decided to do some gardening – starting with getting rid of the old water feature put in by the previous owners of the house, and replacing it by a sawn-off beer barrel filled with pink and white pansies.

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Doing physical work in the garden felt so good – I loved picking away at the earthy compost with radio tunes wafting through the air. I felt like I had earned my achy back, and the cups of tea tasted even better outside.

I think the thing I liked the best was the fact that my head pretty much emptied of anything while I was working with the soil. My head is normally a very busy place, so it was a kind of meditation to me.

I have to confess I know very little about gardening, but I would love to learn more. Our neighbours are fantastic, dedicated gardeners who spend hours and hours plucking and trimming, sweeping and nurturing, and their garden looks gorgeous as a result. Maybe this can be a new hobby for me in the years ahead? Anything that wears the body but relaxes the brain sounds like a good tonic to me.

Are you green fingered? What is it you love about gardening? Any top tips for a novice like me?

Honoured to be awarded a place in the ‘Top 42 under 42’ entrepreneurs in Yorkshire!

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'Top 42 under 42' entrepreneurs in Yorkshire

Just found out I have been awarded a place in the ‘Top 42 under 42′ entrepreneurs in Yorkshire! This is a real honour in a region buzzing with start ups and exciting new businesses. These awards recognise ‘rising stars of business’ in the region, so I am looking forward to meeting all the other winners soon!

Thanks to my awesome collaborators Kelly Rae Roberts, Rachael Taylor and Lilla Rogers for their part in Do What You Love’s explosive growth, which has allowed us to help thousands of women all over the world to do what they love!